Connecticut College Left ([info]ccleft) wrote,
@ 2007-01-02 09:26:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Olympia, Washington: Student-run infoshop opens
by Peter McCoy
Monday January 01, 2007
evergreeninfoshoppe@riseup.net

Earlier this month, a student-run non-profit infoshop celebrated its grand opening at The Evergreen State College (TESC) in Olympia, Washington, USA. Using the guise of a state funded student group, volunteers of The Evergreen Infoshoppe were allotted over $4,000 to purchase radical books, zines, and videos for their lending library and resource center. After only a few weeks of planning, the Infoshoppe now hosts an ever-growing collection in a permanent, centrally located and nearly autonomous location.

(READ MORE)

~Daniel

(Post a new comment)

Campus alternative media
[info]ccleft
2007-01-02 02:44 pm UTC (link)
At the end of last year, CCLeft had a biweekly campus newsletter with a circulation of over 200. It also had at its disposal a weekly radio show of leftist and anarchist news, theory, and opinion. Though nothing was yet in the works for C4tv, two CCLefters spearheaded its creation, with the intent of having regular programming on the tube when the project developed.

Zero of these projects are currently underway. And as I understand it, the Voice is still churning out shit issues nearly weekly.

WTF?

~Daniel

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: Campus alternative media
(Anonymous)
2007-01-02 05:09 pm UTC (link)
I agree with the dissapointment with SpeakLeft. Apparently people are "busy" with their classes during the semester. But that should mean that they're writing articles during this fucking month long break.
On a sidenote, C4TV is actually working, but nobody watches it cuz as of now all it is a few film projects taken from Conn undergrads. Also the school was not willing to provide video equipment beyond what they've already given to the film department, and as film students are already scrambling for the decent cameras, that basically means that you have to use your own stuff.
On another sidenote, I find it amusing that you credit yourself and Cornelius with C4TV's inception.
-Tristan

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Campus alternative media
[info]ccleft
2007-01-02 08:16 pm UTC (link)
Cornelius and I wrote the constitution for c4tv at like 3 in the morning in my apartment in Spring of 2005. After it was ratified, the school sat on it until Wilson Stiner made enough of a stink about it that (over a year later) they finally started moving on it.

I think SpeakLeft has been less active less because people are "busy" and more because they are feeling alienated. I don't mean to snipe at CCLeft because its not my place. I have been hearing complaints from a number of people, however. People feel their voices aren't being heard at CCLeft, notably female voices, but also male voices. If their voices can't be heard at meetings, why would they go out on a limb to write an article?

Things changed a lot while CCLeft grew up, and the methods used fit the dynamics of the group changed to meet new needs. A bell was introduced to cut down on people talking over one another, which worked... fairly well. The consensus process went from silence=approval to that everyone present showed their sentiment equally by a thumbcheck. What I hear is happening now (and I really wish I could be there to see it instead of getting second hand information) is a relapse to "structurelessness."

The groups I've been involved with since CCLeft have all thrived using a different model than ours. CCLeft can thrive, too, if it incorporates some aspects of other groups' organizing models into its patchwork. Formal consensus, meeting facilitators, caucuses, agendas, stack-takers, timekeepers, go-arounds, etc. All of these are elements that can be added to the ouvre of CCLeft without changing (the good part of) its character, and making space for people to be heard. There needs to be less burnout in the form of getting angry at people for not doing enough. That shit has got to go. All it does is alienate.

Maybe CCLeft can become exciting again by getting new people involved intimately. If you're committed to that, check these resources out:

The Tyranny of Structurelessness
The Makings of a Good Meeting
Formal Consensus Process Flowchart

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…